Bag of Randomness for Friday, February 3, 2017

  • Too Tall Jones was on last night’s ‘Diff’rent Strokes’. Arnold wound up on the balcony ledge and Too Tall had to rescue him.
  • I watched a bit of the new HBO Warren Buffett documentary. It starts off by showing how he starts off his mornings, going through the McDonald’s drive-thru and paying with cash. He can have any kind of breakfast imaginable daily but chooses to eat like a commoner. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just amazing.
    • When asked if he remembered the last conversation he had with his father, he kindly but sternly said, “Yes, but I don’t want to talk about it.”
    • I can’t put it into words, but I had an epiphany when he compared his investment strategy to this Ted Williams hitting chart and how it relates to all the noise of life. Basically, you ignore all the stuff you don’t know and pay attention to what you trust.
  • The optimist in me thinks this was an innocent act by SEALs thanking the new president for attending the ceremony at Dover AFB when the remains of their fallen brother was brought home earlier this week – The Navy wants to know who flew a Trump flag on a military convoy
    • A Trump flag was spotted on a military convoy driving outside Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday. The US Navy confirmed to CNN that the Humvees were being driven by an East Coast Naval Special Warfare unit — also known as a Navy SEALs unit.
  • What gets built first, the wall or the fence?
  • During the National Prayer Breakfast, President Trump asked the audience to pray for Schwarzenegger’s ‘Celebrity Apprentice’. One of Trump’s faith advisors isn’t providing adequate counsel, but who – James Dobson, Jerry Fallwell Jr, Robert Jeffress, Jack Graham?
  • The kids were distracting me so I couldn’t hear what was on the local news, but I saw the mayor of Richardson holding a “state of the city” address in what appeared to be a huge convention center with was all decked out. I guess I don’t know how to properly run a city, but it seemed like they were making the “state of the city” address a bigger deal than what it really is. It seems like the mayor could have simply written something up and posted it online.
  • Presidential trivia time – Who was the last president to deliver the State of the Union by letter? The first president to do so was Jefferson, and according to the last line in this article, James Earl Carter was the last to forgo a speech and simply send it in written form. It was also the longest State of the Union by words, a whopping 33,667 words. In case you are wondering what’s the average – “19th century was about 10,000 words; late 20th century, about 5,000 words.” In case you are wondering, President Trump won’t deliver his first official State of the Union until 2018. Presidents typically chose not to make an official State of the Union speech during the year of their inauguration. However, on the last day of this month, he will address a joint session of Congress which for all intents and purposes is basically a State of the Union address.
    • Wouldn’t it be a great bit of Trump delivered a State of the Union in a series of tweets for a full hour?
  • Yesterday on BaD Radio, it was revealed that Bob has been working for Troy Aikman by providing him with stats and analysis before a broadcast. Well, maybe this was already known, but it was news to me. I wonder how much Sturm get’s compensated by Aikman, $10,000?
  • Vox – We’re probably underestimating how quickly electric vehicles will disrupt the oil market
  • GoPro lost $373 million during its awful 2016
  • Texas day care’s message to parents: ‘Get off your phone!’
    • “You are picking up your child! GET OFF YOUR PHONE!!!!” read the sign, which was taped to a window. Those were the first two lines in the page-long missive aimed at parents who appear too busy in the online world to appreciate their children in the real one. “We have seen children trying to hand their parents their work they completed and the parent is on the phone,” the sign continues. “We have heard a child say ‘Mommy, mommy, mommy …’ and the parent is paying more attention to their phone than their own child. It is appalling.”
  • 32-year-old mother-of-two is named as Sports Illustrated’s latest rookie model
  • At one time Baylor was an esteemed university, and then the Dave Bliss scandaled happend and now there’s the Art Briles saga which just won’t die. If the university would have fired all the assistant football coaches last year instead of reataining them, I’d give them credit for at least trying to seek redemption and right some wrongs. The school is a mess and lacks any moral leadership from those in charge. I feel for the Baylor faithful who are clouded by loyalty and memories of the school of the past and just can’t bring themselves to at least temporarily cut ties. By not doing so, they are simply enabling. These thoughts aren’t aimed at any one person, remember, my wife is a Baylor Bear. Does Baylor deserve the death penalty? Absolutely. Will they, nope, because there’s too much money to be lost with the NCAA and the Big XII.
    • The Dallas Morning News – Damning texts between ex-Baylor coach Briles, other officials revealed in new court records
    • From TMZ
      • On September 13, 2013, Shillinglaw sent a text to Coach Briles about a player who got a massage and “supposedly exposed himself and asked for favors. She [masseuse] has a lawyer but wants us to handle with discipline and counseling.” Coach Briles’ first response was “What kind of discipline… She a stripper?” When Shillinglaw said the player made the request at a salon and spa while getting a massage, Coach Briles wrote, “Not quite as bad.”
      • On February 11, 2013, an assistant coach notified Coach Briles of a claim by a female student-athlete that a football player brandished a gun at her. Coach Briles responded: “what a fool – she reporting to authorities.” The assistant coach texted back: “She’s acting traumatized … Trying to talk her calm now… Doesn’t seem to want to report though.” Coach Briles texted: “U gonna talk to [the player].” The assistant coach concluded: “Yes sir, just did. Caught him on the way to class… Squeezed him pretty good.” The matter was never reported to Judicial Affairs.
Posted in Personal | 2 Comments

Bag of Randomness for Thursday, February 2, 2017

  • I wish there was a standard in which all “Use By” and “Sell By” dates were located, say the bottom right on all packaging.
  • I just can’t delete any deceased person from my contacts list.
  • I throw away the majority of birthday cards I’ve received, but I feel like there’s an appropriate time limit I must keep them before they are tossed out.
  • Yesterday the apps and website for Countable seemed to be real popular on social media. It’s supposed to be non-partisan and advised and respected by folks on the right and left of the aisle.
    • Countable makes it quick and easy to understand the laws Congress is considering. We also streamline the process of contacting your lawmaker, so you can tell them how you want them to vote on bills under consideration. You can use Countable to:
      – Read clear and succinct summaries of upcoming and active legislation.
      – Directly tell your lawmakers how to vote on those bills by clicking “Yea” or “Nay”.
      – Follow up on how your elected officials voted on bills, so you can hold them accountable in the next election cycle.
  • It’s frustrating and saddening when President Trump is compared to Hitler. It’s simply unjust. Hitler was much better at public speaking.
  • In all seriousness, I’m glad to hear Trump was at Dover Air Force Base when the remains of Navy SEAL, Ryan Owen arrived. It was an unannounced visit, and even if it was done with the intention of PR in mind, I hope the enormity and realness sticks in his mind when making decisions that will involve putting lives at risk for any future mission.
  • Judges Thomas Hardiman and Merrick Garland should meet up for drinks. Hardiman was invited to Washington two days ago as one of two finalists to be on the Supreme Court but wasn’t given a rose, and Garland was nominated but couldn’t even get a hearing. Either way, both got invited to DC to basically be the next Supreme Court justice and neither got a hearing.
  • It’s a slippery slope, we might one day end up with a First Lady who posed nude in magazines:
  • Hooters Is Opening a New Restaurant That Will Have Male Servers
  • GIF – Saturn popping out from behind the moon
  • Jon Stewart made a “surprise” appearance on Stephen Colbert’s show the other night. At one point (the 6:09 mark), Colbert made a reference to “sis boom bah”. I’m sure that old Carson reference went over a lot of heads of the younger viewers.
  • Colbert nabs late night’s top spot for 2nd time this week
    • CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” topped the late night ratings for the second time this week bringing in a 2.4 overnight rating on both Monday and Tuesday. This was enough to give Colbert the lead over his competition of late night Jimmys, NBC’s Fallon and ABC’s Kimmel, who came in second and third on Monday and Tuesday.
  • Buzzfeed – How Taylor Swift Played The Victim For A Decade And Made Her Entire Career
  • Speaking of playing the victim – Briles drops libel suit against Baylor, “wants some peace in his life”
    • “I’m sorry we didn’t get this resolved for all the Baylor people, so they could know the truth,” Cannon said. “A man can only carry so much.” “They overloaded him in an endless supply of money, lawyers, resources, and no restraints on anything they’ll do to achieve their goals,” Cannon said. “Art wants some peace in his life for him and his family, and to put as much distance between him and his family and Baylor as he can, and I wholeheartedly agree with him.”
  • Who Were The Cowboys’ Five-Star Recruits Out Of High School?The Cowboys have five former five-star recruits on their roster right now. Do you think you could name them?
    • It’s not Ezekiel Elliott (former 4-Star recruit), it’s not Dez Bryant (4), and despite his high draft pedigree, it’s not Morris Claiborne (3) either. It’s not Zack Martin (4) or Travis Frederick (3) or Dak Prescott (3), so who does that leave?
  • Illinois State was able to successfully recruit a young man named Kobe Buffalomeat, who usually just goes by the name, Meat.
  • Satire – Visa Offers New Dave Ramsey Credit Card With Credit Limit Of Zero
  • Texas bank teller stole $1.2 million over a decade
  • Breaking Elgar’s EnigmaDid a violin teacher from Plano, Texas solve the world’s greatest classical music mystery?
  • General Motors has some fierce (and nerdy) codenames for its self-driving cars
Posted in Personal | 2 Comments